08/08/2025
I am sometimes asked in my first conversation with a prospective student or their parents/guardians what I offer specifically as a tutor.
I cannot answer this question with specific detail at the onset and am unapologetic about it. This is because I want to get to know each student well before I firm up their programme. Otherwise, the old saying of "fitting square pegs in round holes" would characterise their future experience.
So how do I get to know them fast enough to get the programme going, I hear you say? I ask to see any school reports you feel are relevant, I have a free-of-charge, informal chat with the parents and student or with the student alone if more appropriate. In the first session, I use fun quizzes to assess existing knowledge, strengths and areas for improvement. Yes, fun quizzes, rather than formal assessments, as I strongly believe that the brain works better when the mind is at ease. What better way to alleviate stress than to smile, laugh, wonder and marvel as we learn?
I repeat the process of evaluation very regularly throughout the time a student spends with me. Again, this is done organically and in a non-intrusive way, reminding the student that mistakes are not setbacks; they are stepping stones to deeper understanding. Enjoyment fosters learning and learning relies heavily on positive experiences.
So, it will be a little while before can I then tell you what I can do more specifically for an individual student, and much more importantly still, how they will be able to use their knowledge to continue on their learning journey, once I am no longer of use to them.
In other words, my job is to make you no longer need me. One repays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil (Nietzsche).
